Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Alton's Buttermilk Biscuits

We did not grow up eating buttermilk biscuits...the first time I tasted one I was hooked. So easy to make...they rise up like flaky little pillows. Perfect for a lazy Sunday breakfast...perfect anytime. I always feel that I do not make them enough. This time I made them there were only two of us. They froze nicely...we enjoyed each and every one.

I always bake my biscuits in a very old black iron skillet....one of the first things I ever bought after we
moved to San Francisco. I found it at the Sausalito flea market...it was $2.00 in 1979. I have treasured it ever since. That old pan has seen a lot of love since then and carries with it all the love it received before it found me.

I have never met a biscuit I did not like...but this one has been my favorite for quite some time. I love that it does not have a ton of fat in it. I have made them with all butter, but prefer them with shortening and butter. I use Spectrum brand Organic shortening for these. If you really do not want to use shortening, you can use all butter. This is Alton Brown's Grandmother's biscuit recipe. I always make a little indentation on the top of my biscuits with my thumb...this is supposed to make them rise evenly, mine were a little lopsided this time because they rose so high. I saw Alton's Grandma do it, so I have done it ever since. Southern Biscuitsrecipe courtesy Alton Brown2 cups flour4 teaspoons baking powder1/4 teaspoon baking soda3/4 teaspoon salt2 tablespoons butter2 tablespoons shortening1 cup chilled buttermilk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.In
a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and
salt. Using your fingertips, rub butter and shortening into dry
ingredients until mixture looks like crumbs. (The faster the better, you
don't want the fats to melt.)Make a well in the center and pour in
the chilled buttermilk. Stir just until the dough comes together. The
dough will be very sticky.Turn dough onto floured surface, dust top
with flour and gently fold dough over on itself 5 or 6 times. Press into
a 1-inch thick round. Cut out biscuits with a 2-inch cutter, being sure
to push straight down through the dough. Place biscuits on baking sheet
so that they just touch. Reform scrap dough, working it as little as
possible and continue cutting. (Biscuits from the second pass will not
be quite as light as those from the first, but hey, that's life.)Bake until biscuits are tall and light gold on top, 15 to 20 minutes.Enjoy warm from the oven with butter and jam...yum.

So good..Jacques and I just had one w/ buttah..soft..melt in your mouth..if your biscuits taste this good..you must have a great scone recipe..have probably seen it..duly noted and never got around to..but it's ringing a bell so I am off to peruse..they rose high and beautifully..2 acted up like yours..but I liked that:)

An old cast iron skillet is a real treasure. There is nothing better than a flaky homemade biscuit. Mine are always lopsided so I will definitely try the little thumbprint next time. I always use a little shortening in my dough too.

Ahh, biscuits... I can almost smell them through the screen. I'm watching what I eat before I travel this summer, I want to lose a few so I can gain them back when we're on the road. Dieting is no fun, and nothing could be better than a warm, crumbly, buttery biscuit! Torture me why don't you. ;)

Thank you sweet Shel! I can not take credit for the idea....women in the Southern parts of my country have been doing that for as long as the skillets have been around I suppose. They are just a little bit different than scones....i hope you try them!Love to you!L xo

Just happened upon your blog and what a fabulous blog you have! I'm going to have to try your biscuit because all I know is scones which we have with jam and cream. I seem to think these biscuits are different.

I am so very much in love with Mr. Alton Brown. I have all of this recipe books so as soon as I saw this post I knew I was going to love it. I have this recipe in one of my cook books and have yet to get around to cooking it. Thank you for letting me know that it was amazing.